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Noriaki Kakyoin knew he was dying.
He felt as parts of his body began to go numb. his mind slowly beginning to shut down. Into a sleep he knew would be his last.
How could he not? Especially when a hole had been blasted through his abdomen.
He felt his eyes slowly begin to flutter. His body slowly beginning to go out as his life flashed before his eyes.
everything he had witnessed and seen on this journey. Joining the crusaders. Going on a journey to Egypt to save Jotaro's mother. Having to deal with people with powers beyond what even he could imagine. Dealing with an evil baby.
And then led to where he was now.
Dying.
However his dying mind wandered to things that he had up to this point he knew he was never going back to.
His family.
His parents,admittedly. Weren't the best. they didn't even try to believe him when he tried to tell them about Hierophant Green. Which while understandable, still hurt.
The two did care for him, and love him but it was clear that they would never understand him, the real him.
His aunt and uncle weren't much better. They just seemed to think the same thing of his parents. He admittedly hadn't seen them alot prior to…him having to leave.
However there was one member of his family that he knew tried to understand him.
Ryoko. His cousin.
She was young. Only about 7. And to his knowledge she didn't have a stand, so she couldn't see Hierophant green. But the young girl listened to him when he told her about them. It didn't make him feel less alone. As he had only sparsely seen the girl up until the trip that would unknowingly lead to his death.
However sometimes it felt like the two were more like siblings, even though they didn't see each other a lot.
Hell, even if Mannish Boy made him really dislike babies. One of the memories he cherished even now as he felt his body die was when he held her shortly after she was born. But another cherished memory was one the little girl had tried to talk to Hierophant when she was about 4 or so.
Just the simple fact that she wanted to understand him, it made him just so..happy.
But as Kakyoin's mind began to drift, and each memory slowly faded as the eternal rest came over him, he began to realize something that concerned and scared him.
Ryoko was almost taken by DIO
She was almost taken by the very man who had started his demise,who had kidnapped him from his old life. And he had been currently fighting against.
If he hadn't managed to get there in time, and find her…
He didn't even want to think about what would happen.
But his mind thought of what he was drying for. And what he had done just moments ago.
Give Mr. Joestar a sign. A sign on what DIO'S ability was.
However, his mind gave him a thought. A thought that made him shudder. A thought that he hoped would never happen.
What if they lost?
What if DIO won?
What if DIO took over the world and killed everyone the crusaders ever loved?
Then he wouldn't be able to protect Ryoko from that. She would be in danger. And would most likely be killed.
And he couldn't do anything about it.
As this feeling of dread overcame him. He almost didn't notice Hierophant seemed to have manifested.
His eyes met his stands, Hierophant Green’s body had begun to unravel, the tendrils beginning to disappear and disintegrate.
He barely even noticed that they seemed to be coming back together.
Before he could even comprehend what was going on. His eyelids began to fall,heavy.
Slowly his eyes closed for the last time.
His body just twitched for a couple seconds before stopping as his body began to go cold.
And
On January 16th 1989, at 5:15 pm, in Cairo Egypt. Noriaki Kakyoin took his last breath.
Ryoko Kakyoin wasn't feeling well.
Which was rather strange, as when she woke up. She didn't feel sick at all.
Not one bit.
However right when she was getting ready for school. She suddenly got a really bad headache and fever.
So her mom allowed her to stay home for today. And they would see if she was better tomorrow.
Now, her mother was in the kitchen. Talking on the phone while Ryoko laid on her small bed in her room. A cooling pad placed on her head.
She glanced outside her window, the trees bare as winter had begun its typical business, even though the TV said it would be sunny and warm out today. Ryoko could see small, miniscule snowflakes begin to fall outside her window.
She let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling of her room. Despite being a young girl, there was one thing that was in Ryoko's mind. A thing she didn't understand. A thing that scared her.
Where was Noriaki?
A couple months ago she, her parents, her aunt and uncle and her cousin went to Egypt. When Ryoko wandered off and found herself in a strange place with broken buildings. Noriaki found her but. Before he could do anything, a strange man in yellow came, teleported. And all of a sudden Noriaki went with him after he shot something into his forehead.
A couple hours later, Egyptian authorities had found her. She had been too scared to move since she saw what had happened.
The authorities and her family searched everywhere but they couldn't find Noriaki.
She remembered when they were about to go home, Ryoko had begun to cry uncontrollably in the airport, she had begged her parents to try and go back and find him, her mother had got down to her and said “we will honey, we promise.” that didn't stop her from crying her eyes out for the next week however.
But the worst part about it was the fact that Nori was taken by that..man… Dio.
A name she only heard Noriaki say, but she knew who it belonged to.
She had horrible nightmares for weeks after the trip, after Noriaki was taken. Just from him alone.
His cold red eyes staring into her soul, even when they weren't looking at her.
His strange clothing has made him have a royal but cold feel to him.
But the worst was his voice.
His voice, to Ryoko, had this glee to it but it was wrong to hear his voice. The coldness to the man's tone but glee present sent shivers down her spine.
Worst is whatever he did to Noriaki. That made him say he would follow him. It made his voice sound wrong too.
Even today, she still was scared to sleep in the dark at night, afraid that she would open her eyes to see a pair of red staring back at her.
Ryoko shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that had overwhelmed her. Her eyes went to the clock within her room.
The hands told her that it was still morning. Ryoko began to feel her eyelids begin to flutter.
The girl had been feeling a bit tired, she let out a small yawn as her eyes began to close, Mom had told her to rest, saying it would help her get better.
So a small nap wasn't unexpected.
However, Just before she drifted off to dreamland, just out of the corner of her eye. A green human looking figure was floating, looking at her.
She didn't even register what it was before she drifted off.
Ryoko found herself in a strange, dark maze. The walls towered over the young girl, almost seeming to reach to the sky.
She began to look around, confused. Before a familiar voice called out from the distance.
“Ryoko-chan!”
That was Noriakis' voice.
“NORIAKI!!” The young girl screamed as she began to run towards where she heard the voice.
She didn't know how far he was. But she didn't care, Noriaki was there! And she was going to find him.
What felt like hours had passed before she saw him.
The maze had opened up to a large opening, underneath a starless sky
Noriaki looked just like when he had been taken by that man. Dark green uniform,red hair with a noodle, Purple eyes, everything was exactly as Ryoko had seen him last.
“Noriaki!” She yelled, Nori looked at her, relief clear in his eyes.
“Ryoko-chan!” He began to run towards her, she began to do the same thing, she had found him! Her cousin! He was back!
However, just before the two could get close. Dark red hands erupted from where Noriaki had entered the opening, grabbing him and pulling him towards the darkness within the maze.
Ryoko tried to grab onto Noriaki, to pull him back. But she couldn't. Just before she grabbed his hand, he was pulled back into the darkness.
Then the maze began to fall apart.
The ground cracked and drifted away, the world itself seeming falling apart. However then a voice came through the darkness.
A voice that scared her.
“Ryoko..”
The voice of the man who took Nori.
DIO.
Ryoko began to look around in a confused and terrified state, searching for where DIO was.
She saw in the distance a figure, floating
And it was going right towards her.
She tried to run, but no matter how much she tried she couldnt move.
And he got closer
However, just as when she could make out the slightest details. Several ribbon-like things shot out and encased her. The ribbons seemed to be green and silver.
Ryoko looked around confused. Scared. Her hands began to shake as she tried to comprehend what was going on.
She closed her eyes and tried to make it stop…
It was at that moment she woke up.
She shot up, scared. Terrified. Her chest hurt from how hard she was breathing
Her eyes around her room, looking for the man who took Nori. If he was somehow there
He wasn't.
Ryoko began to breathe calmly seeing he was nowhere in her room. It was just a nightmare.
However, then she realized something.
She put her hand on her head.
She didn't have a fever anymore.
Ryoko was a bit shocked, as before her head was so hot her mom almost was going to take her to the hospital if it remained tommorow.She even had felt a bit weak, but now she felt exactly as she did before she got sick.
Slowly she got out of her bed. And looked around her room, before walking over to her bedroom mirror.
She looked at herself.
She was wearing a simple pair of pink polka dot pajamas while her red hair just barely reached her upper back. She looked just like she did that morning.
She was slightly disappointed that she didn't look like a magical girl. As that was the closest thing her mind could comprehend as she was only 7.
However she noticed something else. Something that made her stop and stare.
A tall human looking figure stood behind her, their body was green but looked almost like it had a wave-like or web-like pattern on it. Several pieces of metal looking stuff covered their body, Looking almost like pieces of a knight's armor. On the figure's face was a strange mask thing that covered their mouth. They also had weird things on their eyes too.
Ryoko turned to the figure. Then blinked and rubbed her eyes before looking again. The figure was still there.
The figure didn't really do anything, they just floated in the air. A couple feet from the ground.
However there was something kinda familiar about the figure. Ryoko was sure she only saw it just now but felt as if something similar had been described to her before.
Then she thought of Noriaki’s imaginary friend.
She was really little Noriaki had told her about them. But the main thing he told her was that he was green and had a web-like pattern. Was human shaped, tall And also had metal stuff.
As the realization came over her, she looked up at the figure, Nori had called him Hero-something green. Her eyes began to have a slight spark to them.
“Are you..” Ryoko began, choosing her words. “Noriaki's friend?” her voice was small and filled with awe, she never expected that this was what Nori's friend looked like.
Noriaki's friend, who she was going to call Green for simplicity's sake. Nodded and Ryoko felt a smile begin to appear on her face.
She held out her hand “I'm Ryoko, Noriaki's cousin” . Maybe Nori's friend could tell her what happened to him.
Green slowly reached towards her hand and grabbed it. The two then shook hands, Ryoko looked up to Green, smiling. Green meanwhile had tilted their head a bit, eyeing the girl slightly curiously.
When the two let go of their hands. Ryoko was still looking up at Green, however her smile slightly faltered, she began to think about to ask Nori's friend.
“...Green?” She began, choosing her words “do you know what happened to Noriaki?”
Green didn't speak, however just from their body language Ryoko could tell that the question made them sad, their shoulders began to droop while their hands clenched into fists.
But before Ryoko could ask anymore questions. Her mother opened the door.
She had a frazzled look on her face. Like she had heard some upsetting news.
“Mom? What's going on?” Ryoko questioned, concerned and confused. But before she could ask why. Her mother explained.
“Ryoko.” Her mother wavered a bit “your cousin, Noriaki…he…” she paused a bit.
Then she continued
“He was found dead in Cairo.”
And, on January 16, 7:18 am, Morioh. Ryoko Kakyoin's life as she knew it had changed.
The next 2 weeks went by in a haze. As the next thing Ryoko could even tell.
She was at the funeral of her cousin.
He had already been cremated. About to be buried in the family grave.
The grave held the Kanji that read “Noriaki Kakyoin”
The entire family was there, her aunt and uncle sat near the grave, the two were inconsolable. Constantly crying, blaming themselves for how they raised him. Saying that if they listened to him more and helped him make friends he would still be alive.
Her parents were more held together, still didn't break the somber feeling around the whole thing.
But Ryoko?
Ryoko had been in shock since she heard the news.
She didn't cry, she didn't break down, for the simple reason that. Even at the funeral.
None of it felt real.
It felt like she was dreaming. A dream that was the worst case scenario.
A dream that no matter how much she wanted to.
she couldn't wake up from.
Until they went to her aunt and uncle's house.
Her uncle said that they hadn't cleaned Nori's room since he had gone missing. Thinking he would come home. They still hadn't cleaned it since his death. They knew they needed to, but they couldn't.
The room reminded them too much of him, and they felt as if cleaning it would be getting rid of him all over again.
After explaining that,her uncle began to break down. Sinking to the floor. His face in his hands,his wife broke down shortly after her husband did as well.
But Ryoko didn't see that, she had gone into Nori's room.
As she creaked open the room, she peered inside.
Noriaki's room had green walls, and a few posters were nicely placed on them. Almost like they were paintings
Several small paintings were visible from where Ryoko stood. Each being placed nicely next to each other in order of size.
His bed’s blanket with cherries on them. It was also neatly put together. The pillows placed right at the top, the sheets pulled up as well. The bed hadn't been touched in almost 3 months.
Several small figures were here and there. There weren't a lot of them, but the ones that were there were very easy to see. A desk on the side of the room held most of them. The desk itself had several art supplies also placed there.mostly being small paint pallets and pencils.
on the far left of the room, a stand with a TV on it was visible. A game console was also visible. A couple games were neatly placed in a cubby beside the tv.
It looked just like when Ryoko had last visited.
And it was clear that it hadn't been clean since then as well, as a small but visible layer of dust was seeable on most surfaces.
As she walked into the room, something on Nori's desk caught her attention.
She climbed upon the chair that was next to the desk,she steaded herself as she felt herself slightly slip and when she became balanced.looked at what was on the desk.
It was a drawing of Green. Exactly as they had looked to her. Every detail was exact down to the web-like pattern.
But what caught her attention was the small note near the top of the page.
‘My only friend, Hierophant Green’
Green really was Noriaki's friend. They were his only friend.
He never had anyone else. She knew that as he had told her but. She guessed it didn't hit her at the time. Maybe she could help him with…
Ryoko felt tears begin to form in her eyes. It felt so real now.
Noriaki was gone. Forever.
He wasn't coming back
She grabbed the drawing and held it close, like it was her only lifeline and she began to break.
He was gone.
And it was her fault.
If only she hadn't ran off, if only she had listened to stay close, if she. If she..
Ryoko felt something similar to ribbons surround and hold her, she looked up. It was Green.
She looked at the ribbon things, they were coming from Green themselves, they looked silver and had emerald colored patterns on them.
But then she noticed something.
Was Green….Crying?
There were what looked like tears coming from Green “eyes”. Ryoko also noticed that the ribbons seemed to be slightly shaking a bit.
Did Green miss Nori too? It made sense, they had been Noriaki’s only friend. And if she could guess Noriaki had been their only friend too.
She began to reach out and touched Greens face “it's okay..” she hugged him “I miss him too”
Green reciprocated the hug, their taller stature making it so it felt like Ryoko was encased in a ball.
Kakyoin Noriaki was gone.
He was gone forever but.
He would be missed. By his family.
And by the two beings who understood and cared about him.
On February 2nd 9:35 am. Ryoko Kakyoin's life was changed once again. But this time for the better.
Ryoko walked slowly within the graveyard. While it was almost spring now, it didn't mean that the coldness of winter went away.
The tree's still had yet to fully regain their leaves, but small buds were visible on their long, thin branches. Soon cherry blossoms would bloom.
A few cold winds could also be felt,so most people wore light but warm clothing.
As Ryoko walked in a long sleeved sweater and long skirt, she felt herself take a small breath, her hand tightened around the bag she was holding.
She had gone this way so many times before this. She knew it by heart.
A grave slowly came into her view, a grave she had visited many times now.
The Kanji on it read “Noriaki Kakyoin.”
It had been over 10 years since he had died. But in a way it still didn't feel real.
Ryoko slowly reached into her bag and pulled out two things.
The first was a small bag of cherries, Noriaki's favorite. The second was a small bowl.
She knelt down.
She put the bowl onto the ground, opened the bag of cherries and filled the bowl with them. After that she zipped it up and put it back into her own bag. She took a long breath.
“Nori?” She said, trying not to cry. Even after 10 years. Visiting his grave still wasn't easy. “It's me, Ryoko. I brought your favorite” it would most likely never be easy.
She felt herself grip her bag even tighter.
“next year i'm going to graduate..” she took in a breath “mom and dad planned a small party to celebrate. Mom cried so much I'm pretty sure our neighbors were concerned she was crying so much…” she tried to laugh but stopped.
She tried to joke but it was so…bittersweet as well. Noriaki never got to graduate. And she was going to.
She wished he could have graduated.
She took another breath and continued.
“sometimes I wonder if you're watching over us,if you wish you could come home.”
I wish you could have come home.
She held her bag tighter, her breath beginning to become heavy.
“I…” she tried to begin “...I..” but she didn't know what else to say.
She tried to stifle a cry as she could feel tears beginning to form and come from her eyes..
She felt something grab her hand. It felt like a ribbon.
Or tentacle
She didn't even need to look down to see what it was, the tendril wrapped around her hand, she returned the gesture and held onto it.
“At least you miss him too…” she said to Hierophant Green. Like Noriaki, only she could see them. And she was okay with that. Because they had each other.
She took another breath and looked at the gravestone of Noriaki.
She began to get up and took another deep breath. She let it out.
“Bye Nori…we'll see you soon” she turned and began to walk
She wished she could gain some closure. Some more understanding as to what happened. But she was sure she would learn someday.
It was just that today wasn't that day.
And with a small smile on her face, her red hair blowing in the wind. And with Hierophant holding her hand.
She began to go home.
On march 1st 1999 Ryoko Kakyoin walked home on a cold afternoon, hoping to soon get answers to her questions.
Not knowing that soon her life would be thrust into something she never expected, in just a few short months…